The Spiritual Realm

Chapter 8 in God is Love, is the final chapter in the book and is all about the spiritual realm. For much of my life I thought I understood the spiritual realm. It consisted of heaven, hell, angels, and demons. When I became a psychotherapist, and started exploring alternative healing methods, I discovered another world that I had previously let fear prevent me from exploring. In this chapter I discuss the human energy system, the oneness of everything, extraterrestrial life, reincarnation, death and dying, the demonic, and what life is like when we cross over to the other side at death.

From the day we are born we are all on a journey toward death. Some of us will reach it earlier than others. However, death does not really exist; it is just an illusion since the word death signifies a permanent condition. I prefer the term passing over. Our physical bodies die, but our spirits and our souls—our energy bodies, the eternal parts of who we are—pass over into the spiritual realm. We are always connected to the spiritual realm in some fashion even when we are living on earth.

We live in a society that does not like to talk about death and dying and will do anything to find a way to extend life on earth even when the quality of that life is minimal. Advertisers spend millions trying to get us to buy things to make us look younger and to extend our lives here. Millions more are spent on medical care, operations, and medications toward the end of life to keep people here as long as possible. I hope someday people will be able to see death and dying as a normal part of the life cycle and learn how to embrace it with love rather than shun it in fear. When someone is near the end of life, family and friends should gather around to talk, share, forgive, discuss funeral arrangements, wills, and other related information so when the person passes over, everyone feels love and closure rather than regret, fear, or anger. Many times people are ready to pass over but will not because their loved ones have not given them permission; there is unfinished business regarding relationships that need healing. It is important that we who are left mend these relationships and give people permission to cross over, even though we know we will miss them and it may be difficult at first to go on living without their presence in our lives. Since few of us know when we or those around us will be crossing over, it is important that every day we choose to love and forgive the people we interact with.

So what is the process of passing over like? I have done a lot of reading on near-death and out-of-body experiences. These are similar in that the body appears to be dead, but then the spirit and the soul return to the body. A near-death experience usually happens when someone is in an accident or on the operating table. The people I read about and talked with who have had these experiences all said they never again feared death. The other thing I found fascinating was that everyone had a similar experience, regardless of religious beliefs, gender, country, or culture. I was always taught you had to accept Jesus to go to heaven, and yet many people who were not Christians by the traditional definition experienced heaven rather than hell. I looked more into the people who experienced hell. They appeared to be people who denied the existence of God or who were filled with fear, evil, negativity, and other low-vibrating behaviors. If you have a loving relationship with God, there should be no reason to fear passing over. Some people fear leaving their loved ones and the life they know down here. However, from what I am learning, those in the spiritual realm are able to see, know, and communicate with loved ones still on earth. Remember, everything is connected through spiritual energy, and time and distance do not exist on the spiritual plane.